In data 18 ottobre 2010 alle ore 18:44:25, André Schnabel
<andre.schna...@gmx.net> ha scritto:
To get things started, I put some notes at the wiki:
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/TDF/Membership
I've read that post, but I think you're reiterating an old misconception
by confusing the Document Foundation with the wider LibreOffice Community.
I'll try to explain why.
The Document Foundation should be like the kernel (or nucleus of a cell)
that pursue specific purposes (included in its Charter) that the rest of
the system (or cell, the Community) considers valuable and agrees to
support.
What the TDF does and who formally belongs to its organization may
substantially differ from who cooperate with and belongs to the wider OOo
community.
Hypothetical example: Google Corp. develops a large chunk of code for
LibreOffice. It's an important contribution, of course, and Google would
belong to the wider LibO community, but is this big contribution enough to
join the steering group of TDF?
IMO, no, because you should contribute *and* formally and publicly share
TDF principles *in the past and present and facts*, in order to join the
foundation steering institutions.
Another hypothetical example: tomorrow, Microsoft CEO wakes up and says to
TDF: "Here is a 20 million per year check in order to develop XYZ future
in LibreOffice, can we join TDF and its steering group?" The twenty
million income is surely a good thing ;-) , but I would expect from TDF a
reply like this: "Wait, we know your past. Join the wider LibreOffice
Community by paying independent developers, sponsoring events and projects
and then we'll evaluate your application for membership. In a nutshell: we
have to trust you in the facts during a rather long period of time."
Google has a past of open source and open formats support. It may be a
good member. Microsoft, instead... Well, it's Microsoft.
IMVHO, a double request, contribution *and* acceptation *in the facts* of
the Charter's purposes, should be the base of any "membership" within TDF.
Of course, such approach involves a "cooptative membership procedure" in
which the current TDF members evaluate the actual contribution and
previous commitment to the Charter's purposes and Libreffice Community
made by the membership applicant.
Indeed, always IMO, it's better a tinier group of members but with a
strong and evident commitment to the Charter's purposes rather than a
larger group with a questionable background and composed by members who
are contributing for *their* own purposes.
--
Gianluca Turconi
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